Tom Beaumont writes up the first day of Michele Bachmann's Iowa bus trip, and underscores her biggest problem as the Ames Straw Poll draws near - her sudden popularity heavily outweighing her organizational strength to date for an event that is a major test of just that:

Beginning her first sustained campaign trip to Iowa as an announced candidate, Bachmann introduced herself to audiences from Iowa City to Des Moines in a new campaign bus emblazoned with her name. She spent much of Saturday posing for pictures and signing autographs rather than in meetings with key GOP activists.

"I have every confidence our team is going to deliver," Bachmann told The Associated Press after meeting about 100 supporters and politically curious Iowans at a stop in Marshalltown. "I am going to be here in Iowa campaigning all through July."

Proof that her Iowa campaign was still coming together met Bachmann in Iowa City, where she met about 100 weekend breakfast regulars and Republican activists at the Bluebird Diner near the University of Iowa. Local resident Sheila Reiland told Bachmann's campaign chairman in the crowded diner that she signed up last week on Bachmann's website to volunteer but had heard nothing from any campaign staff.

Bachmann's team is moving to capitalize on her strength with key swaths of conservative voters, evangelicals and home-schoolers among them. The campaign also appears to be headed toward a TV ad buy in markets within driving distance of Ames.

But organization - and an ability to capitalize on the intensity her supporters feel about her - is a key factor. And as of now, the top-tier hopeful whose struggles with voters and with donors have earned major headlines, Tim Pawlenty, still has the strongest organization in the state.

Great handle.., by the way... Takes me back... As a primary candidate she is popular with her base.., and she may go all the way.., but as a choice for the general election.., she will not appeal to the independent/centrists... This is the group that tips the scale in any election... As far as the electoral and popular vote total, I don't she'll carry a majority...

Great handle.., by the way... Takes me back... As a primary candidate she is popular with her base.., and she may go all the way.., but as a choice for the general election.., she will not appeal to the independent/centrists... This is the group that tips the scale in any election...

Thanks... it was a great old show. I believe Bachmann will win the GOP nomination. Everyone agrees the GE is going to be close. And you are correct about the independent voters tipping the scale one way or the another.all

But the 'flake' thing ~was~ really relevant. The Left has spent years painting her as crazy when she is in fact very smart and well spoken. Obama is tired and is going to have a hard time debating her based on his record and the economy. I think she will keep surprising the electorate and win over enough moderates and independents to take it.

well, if she is as good at organizing as she is at american history, we can expect a complete and total mess. of course, since she goes through chief's of staff and other staff members like we go through toilet paper, i think we know what's coming.

Bachmann has energized the grass roots of the Republican party. She is raising the most campaign funds and has the most compelling message. Romney is a sleepy person with very narrow support. Bachmann will pull ahead big time this fall.

Everytime there is strong conterder to OBAMA there the legions of attack dogs, first!!! everytime PALIN appears on tv or any other source, here they come the TASMANIAN DEVILS with their she is stupid, an idiot, her husband is an alcoholic, her daughter is fat and a whore,they are doing what they accused the republican of been intolerant to minorities, women, gays and handycaps.

Then they were after TRUMP and now they are going after BACHMANN, HEY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS I GOT BAD NEWS FOR YOU, OBAMA is not going to be reelected even if MICKEY MOUSE, BOZO THE CLOWN OR ELMER FUDD WERE RUNNING AGAINST THE MESSAIH.

OBAMA have destroyed this country so bad that I don't even think there any turning back to stabilized it to its previous glory. OBANITES YOU WON IN 2008 NOW DEAL WITH YOUR PYRRHIC SITUATION.

her sudden popularity heavily outweighing her organizational strength to date for an event that is a major test of just that:

To date is right. She has plenty time to strengthen her organization. Organization without popularity is nothing in a campaign. See Tim Pawlenty. You can bring some organization to popularity and make something happen. I'm sure she has the better problem to deal with of those candidates from Minnesota.

Michelle Bachmann's extremist religious views when unearthed will scare the hell out of the American voters! Her penchant for severe reactions against American liberal rights and freedoms is too far to the ugly Right, and too "1900's" for the next round of anti-Hate young voters. She believes in the idea of:

Dominionism, in the context of politics and religion, is the tendency among some politically active conservative Christians to seek influence or control over secular civil government through political action, especially in the United States. It is also known as subjectionism.[1] The goal is either a nation governed by Christians, or a nation governed by a conservative Christian understanding of biblical law.

Bachmann's chances and "popularity" diminish the more we know about her.

I might vote for Cain or Palin if she gets in but as a teaparty member I can't vote for Bachmann! Michele Bachmann is a million dollar welfare queen. This woman is a player and you can spot them a mile away. She knows how to play the game after all she’s been in the halls of congress for 5 years. Bachmann doesn't like taxes, but she worked as an attorney for the IRS.,She doesn't like government entitlements yet her husband's clinic has recieved hundreds of thousands from Medicare. What a hypocrite! She and her husband have been gaming government programs from foster child care, to grants, to Medicaid. Not only is the Medicaid an annual, ongoing source of income for them, she lied about the grant. She said the grant was for employees not the clinic, but with further investigation it's been learned that the clinic was given these funds with no knowledge of how the money was spent. A family farm in Wisconsin, in which Bachmann is a partner, got nearly $260,000 in federal subsidies. She also knows how to get the sympothy vote by talking about her miscarriage she had 20 years ago in which some people say adds to her resume for President. This woman has never passed any legislation of any meaning. She has been called undisciplined, unorganized, and inept by those who have worked for her in the past years. She was also photographed hiding in bushes at a gay rally and said she was held against her will in a bathroom by a couple lesbian women. Bachmann changed her story about the lesbian abduction several times. Could you imagine Sara Palin hiding behind bushs at a gay rally? Of course not! Do some checking on those 23 foster kids Bachmann keeps bragging about raising! They were mostly troubled teen age girls and some only stayed for about 3 days. How can you raise a kid in 3 days? Bachmann would not be considered for President by any normal person if the media and GOP Good Ole Boys Club did not want to get rid of Sarah Palin! And FOX NEWS I'll choose my own canidate quit trying to push Bachmann down our throats it's starting to become overkill! This woman is taking us all for a ride!!

We think Michele Bachmann is another tool of the republican party establisment and lamestream media to STOP Sarah Palin.....but We KNOW they will FAIL.....

WE DO NOT TRUST IN Michele Bachmann....SHE ACTS LIKE A CHAMELEON....

Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of LIZARDS. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a prehensile tail, crests or horns on their distinctively shaped heads, and the ability of some to CHANGE COLOR.

So far my choice is Cain unless Palin gets in then of course I would go with her. She is the most hated & feared woman by the liberals and GOP establisment. REASON? Because she is a normal down to earth person like you or I who loves her country and is the most vetted canidate in american history and they found nothing to use against her even after going through 24,000 emails. This should be her 2012 campaign video>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... /watch GOD SAVE AMERICA!